A 51-year-old Pune man was detained by immigration officials on Monday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for reportedly shredding pages from a passport to conceal a trip to Bangkok from his wife and family, according to media reports.
After returning from a week-long vacation in Indonesia, the man reportedly tore the pages of his passport at Mumbai International Airport, according ripped the report.
The man allegedly carried out the act to conceal evidence from his family regarding his four trips to Bangkok in 2024, according to the newspaper, which cited Sahar police’s investigation. Under BNS Section 318 (4) (deceiving a person, or fraudulently or dishonestly inducing a person to provide property), the guy, identified as V K Bhalerao, has been charged by the Sahar Police.
Detained during a standard inspection:
During a regular check, immigration officials found that Bhalerao’s passport was missing pages, leading to his arrest. A Sahar police officer stated in a media interview, “The official found that pages 17/18 and 21-26 were missing.”
In his police complaint, Assistant Immigration Officer Rajiv Kumar added that the papers included the immigration stamps for the travels to Thailand. Wing Incharge Vilas Vadnere and the Duty Officer questioned the accused after Bhalerao initially refused to provide the cause for altering the passport.
“He tore the pages out to hide his Bangkok trips from family,” Rajiv Kumar told a news agency, adding that “sustained questioning helped the immigration officials learn the truth.”
Similar Case:
According to sources, a first-year student was arrested earlier in August 2024 for allegedly ripping four pages out of her passport to hide her previous trip to Thailand. The dates of her journey were February 11–14.
The 1967 Passports Act:
A person who tampers with passport pages is guilty of a criminal offense under the 1967 Passports Act. It is illegal to change or attempt to change a passport without the required authorization, whether you do it yourself or through someone else. An offender may be punished with a fine of ₹5,000, two years in prison, or both.
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